Player piano



w. KUZELKA.

PLAYER PIANO. APPLICATION FILED OCT 21,1919.

1,402,622. Patented 3, 2.

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- W. KUZELKA.

PLAY ER PIANO.

APPLICATION. min ocr. 21. 1919. 1,402, 22, Patented Jan. 3-,1922.

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PATENT oF lcs.

WILLIAM KUZELKA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PLAYER PIANO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

Application filed October 21, 1919. Serial No. 332,203.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM KUZELKA, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Player Pianos; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,

This invention relates to player pianos and the primary object of the invention is to improve the construction of the pneumatic section of a pneumatically operated musical instrument.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved means for regulating the travel or stroke of the pneumatic in relation to the capstan line.

. A further object of the invention is to provide an improved means for regulating the travel of the pneumatic and for adjusting the capstan screws, said means being independent of each other.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved means for cutting off the suction or vacuum from the pneumatic after the same has completed its travel or stroke, so as to reduce the strain on the collapsible sides of the pneumatic and to reduce the power of the blow against the upper member of the pneumatic and to prevent the suction of'air through the pneumatic in case the same becomes worn and leaky.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved transmission mechanism intermediate the automatic power operated striker or pneumatic and the tone sounding action of the above character, which: is durable and eflicient in use, one that is simple and easy to manufacture, and one that can be placed upon the market at lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a pneumatic action of a pneumatically operated player piano showing the improved invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing a modified former the invention.

Figure 3 is a similar view showing a further modified form of the invention.

Figure 4c is a detail section taken on the line 4.4l of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detail section taken on the line 55 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters dcsig nate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1 generally indicates the improved device which includes the ordinary pneumatics 2 including the upper member 3, which is rigidly secured to the rail 4: and the movable lower member 5. The movable board or lower member has rigidly secured thereto the outwardly extending bifurcated finger 6 which receives the lower reduced portion of the block 7 having a threaded bore 8, which receives the compound capstan 9, as will be hereinafter more fully described. The block 7 is pivotally secured to the bifurcated finger 6 by means of suitable pivot pins 10. The wire 9 of the compound capstan has its opposite ends threaded while its intermediate portion is left smooth. The smooth portion of the wire 9 is slidably received in a suitable bore 12 formed in the guide-bar 13. The upper portion of the wire 9 extends above the guide bar and has threaded thereon a button '14 provided with suitable radially extending apertures 15, by means of which the same can be readily adjusted. The button is adapted to engage the ordinary wippen 16, which operates the usual piano action, not shown. and carries depending abstracts 17 extending to the piano keys. not shown. The button 14: is used for adjusting and setting the capstan line. The wire directly below the upper screw threaded portion has secured thereto the disk 18, which is provided with suitable radially extending openings. The disk 18 holds the lower member or movable board 5 of the pneumatic 2 in correct position and it can be seen by turning disk 18 the wire will be rotated and thus thread the same up or down the wire and regulate the travel or stroke of the lower member 5.

This is an important feature, as it is absolutely necessary to provide some means for accurately regulating the stroke or travel of the lower member. The disk 18 is preferably formed of wood secured tight to the wire 9 by shellac or the like.

From the foregoing description it can be seen that an improved means is provided for adjusting the stroke or travel of the lower member or movable board 5 of the pneumatic independent of the capstan adj usting means.

The upper and lower members 3 and 5 of the pneumatic are preferably provided.

with felt pads19 positioned a short distance from the opening or air duct in the pneumatic so as to absorb the shock of the movable member when the same is operated.

' is driven into the finger so as to enclose the hooked end 26 of the wire 27 so as to pivotally secure the same in position on the finger. The upper portion of the wire 27 is threaded as at 29 and the opening through the guide 13 carries a depending rubber tube 30,.so as toprotectthe threads on the wire 27 during the. loose reciprocation of i. the same through the opening and prevent frictional contact of the wire with the walls of the opening. The upper terminal of the wire has threaded. thereon the upper button 15 which engages under the wippen' for op erating the same, when the air is exhausted from the pneumatic. This button is adapted to be adjusted in the manner described in Figure 1. A disk 31 having a threaded bore is. threaded on the wire between the button 15 and the guide bar 13 and rests upon the guide bar 13 and forms means for suspending the lower member or movable board 5 ofthe pneumatic 2. The disk 31 is adapted to. be turned so as to raise or lower'the wire and thusshorten or lengthen the stroke of the lower member 5 of the pneumatic. The

disk is provided with a plurality of suitable equidistantly spaced radially extending openings '32 whi-ch are adapted to receive a suitable instrumentso that the same may be readily turned when it is desired to adjust the stroke of the lower member. It can be seen that this rod 27 is prevented from turningowing to the hooked end 26 thereof being received in the groove in the upper surface of the finger 25. j j y In Figure 3 is illustrated a still further modified form of the invention whereby the stroke or. travel of the lower .or movable member 5 of the pneumatic 2 maybe adj 11sted independent of the capstan regulating means and in this form the compound cap-, stem 18 dispensed with and acompound lever is substituted therefor. In this form a link or lever 40 is pivotally secured at one end thereof to a bracket 41 conveniently supported upon the stationary board of the pneumatic 2 and the link or lever 40 is supported upon a rest rail 42. The outer end of the lever 40 carries an adjustable capstan screw 43, which is positioned directly under the wippen 16 and the same is so constructed as to readily adjust the capstan line. The

movable board or lower member 5 of the pneumatic 2 carries the outwardly extending finger 43 the upper surface of which is provided with a groove 44 for receiving the hooked end 45 of the wire or sticker 46 which extends upwardly through an aperture 47, formed in the lever40 directly in 7 readily regulated and the same is held in suspended position by-theupper button 49.

In Figure 2 is illustrated a means for cutting off the suction or vacuum to the pneumatic 2 after the samehas been collapsed, so as to relieve the strain thereon and toprevent the possibility of air being sucked in through the sides of the pneumatic when the same becomes worn or punctured; This means includes valve 52, formed of a piece of felt 53, which is positioned directly below the duct 54 and the upper portion of the felt is covered witha piece of packing leather '55. The duct 54 issurrounded by suitable packing leather 56. Thus it will be seen that when the pneumatic is collapsed by the exhausting of air therefrom, the valve 52 will seat against the packing leather and thus prevent further force from acting on the pneumatic;

In practice, I have found that the form of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most eflicient and practical; yet i realizing the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my devicewill necessarilyvary, I desire to emphasize that various minor changes. in details of construction, proportionand arrangement of parts may be resorted to, When'required without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention as set forth. I What I claim as new is: 1. A pneumatic musical instrument having a capstan rod associated with the pneumati'c, means to adjust the rod to vary, the

throw of the pneumatic, and a capstan head on the rod adjustable independently thereof to cooperate with the wippen.

2. A pneumatic musical instrument having a capstan rod, a movable head fixed t0 the rod and suspending the same, means to vary the throw of the pneumatic through movement of the rod occasioned by move ment of the head, and a capstan head to cooperate with the wippen extensibly mounted on the rod.

3. A pneumatic musical instrument having a capstan rod pivoted to its pneumatic, a supporting member through which the rod passes, a head resting on the supporting member to suspend the rod said head being fixed to the rod for operation to vary the throw of the pneumatic, and a capstan head screw threaded to the rod to permit removal so that the first head may be inserted and removed and so that it may be adjusted independently of the rod as an extension for cooperation with the wippen.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM KUZELKA.

Witnesses HENRY WALTER, FRANK KUZELKA. 

